Proud
by Aussie-limey
Summary: Italy needs Germany to do sokething for him. summary suks read story puhleeeez


Ludwig sat on the train, either staring at out the window or the book in his hands. It had been a long time since he'd visited Italy along with his faithful friend Feliciano.

The last time he had seen his friend was not under the best circumstances.

* * *

The Year was 2209, January 26th, at the same station he always met Feliciano at.

"Doitsu~!" Feli cried out as he ran across the platform to meet his friend. Ludwig held out his arms for the compulsory hug given to him by the Italian.

"I missed you Ludwig" the smaller boy cried. Ludwig rubbed his back.

"I missed you too"

They drove back to Feliciano's home where they shared in the boy's favourite food, Pasta. As Ludwig ate the food, a bit more eagerly then he usually have since he didn't have breakfast, the Italian picked at the pasta on his plate. The German raised an eyebrow.

"Feliciano? Are you feeling okay"? He asked carefully. He hadn't really realised how pale he had become, the change had been so slight over the visits he hadn't payed attention to it.

Feliciano gave a sad smile, still picking at the cooling food in front of him.

"I'm dying"

The words sounded pre-recorded and unreal. Did he just say he was dying?

"Feliciano, this isn't funny..."

"I'm not lying Ludwig, I'm dying" Ludwig blinked, expecting him to burst into tears any second, but he didn't.

The silence was horrible; the German stared at his friend who in turn stared at the grains of wood in the table.

"How long?"

"A few years at most" Feliciano said it with as much composure as he could muster. On the inside he was in tears. He was sure that had it been any other situation, Ludwig would've been proud.

* * *

Ludwig stared as the train pulled up to the station, his stop was soon.

As excited as he was he couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Italy had changed since he had last been; it seemed so bright now he couldn't stand the empty feeling nibbling away at the back of his thoughts.

He stood carefully and began to move toward to door of the train, his stop would be here soon.

* * *

Feliciano needed a child.

The German was shocked when he first heard this, but Feli needed a child to carry on the cultures and traditions of his country, like Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt had for their countries. Ancient Italy didn't have that good sounding ring to it.

"Doitsu, please~ I really need this baby" He begged, clinging onto the front of Ludwig's shirt. "Romano Can raise it if you don't want it but I need it" Tears began trailing their way down the boy's cheeks.

Romano and Feliciano were both failing in health, but Romano actually had a chance of survival where the younger twin would have his life cut short. Ludwig felt at a loss. Not only did Italy want the child, he wanted it with Him.

"Please Ludwig" the boy in his arms continued to beg. Ludwig could never say no to that.

"Alright Feliciano" he sighed tiredly, knowing he had a long night ahead of him.

* * *

The large blond man stepped off the train, carefully making his way through the crowds of people. A teenage girl ran right past him, her short brown hair bobbed on her shoulders and her purple scarf flapped wildly behind her.

"AH! Wait up Jazzy~!" whoever was calling was speaking in English, which kind of stood out amongst all the Italian conversations around. Almost immediately after the call he felt someone run into him, followed by a small shriek and a crash as they fell over. He turned around and saw another girl picking herself up. Ludwig stared down at her before reaching out a hand to help her up, this girl was of smaller build then the previous, and her hair was longer. The girl from before came rushing back.

"Sorry should've been more careful" she laughed nervously in clumsy Italian to him. He measured the girls up, they looked far too different to be related, but they looked very close.

"No problem, just be more careful" he replied in English. The girls nodded and smiled at him before picking up the overturned bag and walking away. He overheard the smaller girl say something about a 'sexy hunk of man-meat' and her companion replying by calling her a 'pervert'.

Unlikely friends, one was the others opposite, and in that way it made their friendship complete. Just as he was with Feliciano. That immediately bought him back to reality; he was here for a reason after all. He went back to searching to crowd for the one he was set to meet. Blue eyes scanned the crowd for that familiar rust coloured hair. The station began to clear slightly as people left, making it a little easier.

Then he spotted him, leaning against a wall, looking around, curl swaying with the breeze. The Italian soon spotted him and jumped off the wall, running to him and straight into a big hug. Ludwig smiled sadly.

* * *

Feliciano's face was shining with perspiration and tears as he hunched over the large bludge of his gut, helping their child into the world. Ludwig sat right beside him, letting the boy squeeze his hand when necessary.

"L-Ludwig" he whimpered after one particularly hard bought of pushing. He was exhausted; giving birth wasn't a stroll in the park. The German rubbed his back, muttering words of encouragement to the Sickly Italian.

After one last push the room echoed with the sound of a baby' wails. Feliciano fell back onto the bed, completely tired out. A nurse wiped the child down and gave it to Ludwig.

"It's a Boy" she told him before shuffling back to her duties.

Ludwig stared at the tiny bundle of screaming child. Little hands and face scrunched up and red. He was the most beautiful thing he'd laid eyes on. This precious thing he helped create. A hand on his arm alerted him back to the mother of his son.

"Can I see"? Feliciano asked weakly, smiling softly at the German man. Ludwig shuffled closer and held the baby between them. Feliciano tickled the baby's cheek gently.

"My Palmiro, my little one" he cooed softly, the German had no objection to the name as they had already decided. Palmiro, their little boy.

"He looks like you Ludwig". To be totally honest, the larger man didn't see it, in his eyes the newborn son was an identical copy of Feliciano.

The fresh tears falling from the Italian boys eyes did not go unnoticed.

"Feliciano, why are you crying"? Ludwig asked carefully, hoping the reason was happiness. Feli just smiled softly.

"I just wish... I could've seen him... Grow up" he hiccupped, the tears falling faster. Ludwig opened his mouth to respond with words of comfort but the heart rate monitor started beeping madly and Feliciano's hand went limp, falling softly back onto the bed. Before he had a chance to realise what was going on, he had been pushed out of the room with his son still in his arms. He stared blankly at the door, not knowing what to do.

Palmiro squeaked and began to wail, hungry for his first meal. Ludwig pressed his back to the wall and sat down, holding the newborn carefully in his arms. His own tears fell onto the soft blanket wrapping the child. It was too soon, Feliciano wasn't meant to die yet. He hadn't even held the baby now crying against Ludwig's chest. They never got to say goodbye.

The soft fall of footsteps approached him. Ludwig looked up to see Lovino standing right in front of him, arms out. He was in his Mafia suit, making the general feel uneasy as the black hat overshadowed his eyes

"I'm here for the kid"

* * *

Ludwig pulled back from the hug first, staring down at the Italian.

"Papa, you finally arrived" Palmiro jumped up and down on the spot excitedly. Looking at the two, you could never imagine that the handsome young Italian man was the son of the large German. He was an exact copy of Feliciano with a few minor details changed. His face was slightly more sculpted, he had

Ludwig's nose and he was a bit taller than Feli had been. Along with the fact his voice was a bit deeper. But other than that he was Feliciano reborn, even that curl on the top of his head. But all in all, this wasn't Italy, this was New Italy

"Did you have a good trip?" the boy asked, taking one of his father's bags.

"Yes, it was fine" Ludwig lied, he never liked the trip, the thoughts they brought tortured his mind. But in the end it was all worth it.

* * *

Lovino had taken the newborn from his arms; he still remembers the pitying look on Antonio's face. The Southern twin had instantly taken on the roll of 'Father' to the baby boy, Even though Ludwig was still the blood parent. It was because, as Spain had explained to him whilst baby was given his first bath, Palmiro couldn't leave Italy; he was too young to travel and couldn't be raised in Germany if he was to be the new North Italy.

Although the German had discussed this briefly with Feli, the full meaning hadn't truck him till that moment. He would have to try and make room between work to visit his last connection to Feliciano.

But he would make do.

-----------------

Ludwig walked to the car with his son, happy to be back in the land of pasta, whatever memories it brought with it. Romano was sitting in the front seat, fingers tapping the wheel to the song on the radio; no way in hell was he going to let his seventeen year old nephew drive to see the potato bastard. As Ludwig and Palmiro climbed into the back seat of the car, Lovino began swearing his head off at the traffic as Palmiro began an attempt to begin idle conversation with his papa.

Ludwig made a vague attempt to reply over Lovi's screeches out the window, is was exactly the same as if Feliciano was here. Half way home his son had decided it was siesta time and fell asleep leaning on the blond. The general smiled and patted the boy's hair in his sleep. His mother would have been proud.


End file.
